Machine for producing threads from collodion and recovering the solvents of nitro-cellulose or cellulose.



y No. 834.460. ""'IMETENTED o'fl""'3'6}"i906.

M. DENIs. MACHINE EOE PRoDUcING THREADS PROM GoLLoDIoN AND EEGOVERING -THE SOLVENTS OIF NITROCELLULOSB OR CELLULOSE.

APPLICATION FILED IAB. 3. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 834.460. PATENTED OCT. 30, 1906.

' M. DENIS. MACHINE FOR PRODUCING THREADS FROM COLLODION AND REGOVERING' THE SOLVENTSOP NITROGELLULOSE 0R. GELLULOSE.

' APPLICATION-FILED MAB. a, 1905..`

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. MAURICE DENIS, OF MONS, BELGIUM. l MACHINE E oH PRoDucmG THREADS FRoM coLLom'oN AND REcovERlNG THE `soLvENTsoF NITRO-` CELLULOSE 0R CELLULOSE. l

No. 19344.60.l

Specification of Letters Patent.

` Patented oct. 3o, i906.

Application filed March 3, 1905". Serial No. 248,349.v

neer, a citizen of the Republic of France, re-

siding a-t 2 Rue de la Terre de Prince, Mons, Kingdom of Belgium, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Producing Threads from Collodion and Recovering the Solvents of Nitrocellulose or-Cellulose and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The present invention relates to the manufacture of collodion filaments or threads, andhas for its object means to make such filaments and means for the recovery of the solvents ofthe cellulo'se'or nitrocellulose, as will be hereinafter particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, in which like parts are slmilarly designated, Figure 1 is a view, partly in section and artly in elevation, for making collodion ficial silk. F-ig. 2 is a detail, on a larger scale, of the filament-forming nozzle. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a section on line A A, Fig. 1, where several iilaments are united Within the apparatus; and Fig. 4, a section on-line B B, Fig. 1, where several filaments are united on the exterior of the apparatus and the number of 1ilaments to form a thread can be varied at The solution of collodion,l which, as is usual, contains alcohol and ether as solvents, is supplied to the metal tubes 5, that are provided With filament-forming nozzles 6, each of which carries a nut'7, by means of which i to be water.

the length of the nozzle 6, that projects into the down-tubes 9, can be regulated. A stopcock 2O on each nozzle permitsthe flow of collodion to be either entirely cut off or be regulated as desired.

A collector 14 contains a suitableliquid at temperature above the boiling-point ofthe ether solvent desired to be collected- 111.4 e., 36 centigrade for ether-andthis liquid for the present eX lanation ma be considered he collector 1s here shown as cylindrical yand is placed level.` The water aments or artiflows from the bottom of collector 14 through i pipes 12 to the down-tubes 9, which vare jointed at 11 to said pipes 12, so as to be moved away from its nozzle 6 int-o the position z andy, as indicated. Each pipe 12`has a stop-cock 1-3, located between the joint 11 and the collector 14, so that the w'ater in any one tube -9 can be cut ofi' independently of the others. A

VEach down-tube 9 has an opening 8 near its upper end that is provided with an annular flange 8a, against which iiange seats a Washer 10. AThe iilament-forming nozzle projects through the opening and washer into. the tube 9, the nut 7 abutting against the washer 1() to form a tight joint and said nut regulating the extent to which the nozzle projects into the tube 9. Those tubesf9 on the left are connected to one or more tubular collecting-chambers 16, of glass, by means of short rubber-tube connecting-section '15, mounted on the neck of the collecting-chambersv 16. There may be several of these chambers 16, into which a definite number of tubes 9 discharge, all arranged in horizontal alinement. Each collecting-chamber has a curved discharge-tube 17, terminating in a cup 18, the lower part of which is connected to a metallic collecting-tube 19, which in turn is connected to the circulating-pipe 36. Each of tubes 9 on the right terminates in a cup 18, that is connected to a metallic collectingtube 19, that is also connected to the circulating-pipe 36. The circulating-pipe36 leads vacuum-regulating chamber 26, connectedv by exhaust-pipe 268L to avsuitable pump 27.

'A manometer 35 is mounted on chamber 26 to indicate the degree of vacuum, and also connected to Vthe chamber is an automatic mercury circuit-breaker 34, so that'when the vacuum', which should 'be but a few centime- IOO ters of water, becomes too great the mer-:uryin 2y l g r:334,460

one of the arms of the bent tube will leave the terminal and break` the circuit of the electric .motor 28, that drives the vacuum-pump 27.

On the lworm are provided one or more draw-oli nozzles 31, each having a tap 30, that is suitably connected to a glass receiver 29 andprovided with a valve-controlled airinlet 32. 'The vessels 29 are provided with drawsofl" cocks 33 at their bottoms. The filaments 40 are suitably Wound on bobbins, such as 41. The filaments 40 on the left are united within the assembler-tube 16 and emerge from the cups as single threads, while those on the right emerge singly and after passing around suitable guide-pins 43 such number as is desired are wound upon the bobbins 41 in strands.

The operation is as follows: A suitable liquid at a temperature above the boiling-point of ether is introduced into the collector 14, which may be water, and at the commencev ment of the operation the Water fills the collector, and all the cocks on the filamentformer being open the water streams down the tubes 9, carrying with it the collodion laments issuing 4from nozzles 6; Ether is but very slightl soluble in the water, while the solubility `o alcohol at this temperature is about at its maximum; The artificial silk filament will be completely surrounded by hot Water as it emerges from the nozzle 6 and be free from contact with air, sc that its eX- terior is not immediately hardened, thereby preventing the imprisonment of solvents in its ulterior. The ether-vapor rises in the tubes 9 into the collector 14 and aids in forcing the heated water through tubes 9. The descending water carries with it the filament and dissolves the alcohol lsolvent of the collodion. The internal diameters of the tubes 9 are as small as possible at their lower points between the thread-entrance and exit, s o that the liquid in the upper part will be nearly dormant, most ofthe ether-vapors be- -ing liberated at the upper part of the tubes.

A The ether-vapor Aaccumulating in theupper treated for the recovery of the alcohol. Al

definite quantity is withdrawn from the circuit-and is replaced by a like quantity of unsaturated water. When the water or other liqluid in the collector 14 has reached a suitab y low level, the float 22 will no longer hold Athe valve 23 to its seat and the collected ether-vapor will be free to pass by pipe 24 to ether con cnsate will drop into t the worm 25, that is kept at a sufiiciently low temperature to condense the ether-vapor that traverses it, being drawn into the worm by the vacuum-pump 27, the residual gas (air) bein drawn through the um The he g ass vessels-29. By closing tap 31 and slowl opening tap 32 the vacuum in the vesse s 29 is broken, and the liquid ether condensate can be drawnoff through tap 33, which is then closed, as well as tap 32, and the tap 30 slowly opened again to place the glass vessel in operative connection again withthe condenser. As soon as the ether-va or is drawn ofi'l from the collector 14 li uid om the expansion-tank 38 will enter t e collector, raise the level therein, and close valve 23. The water circulates in a closed cycle and is maintained at the required temperature by passing through chamber or coil b, located at any desirable point in the circuit. The water may be replaced b a suitable liquid capable hardened to be reeled, and means to main-` tain a gas-pressure on the surface of said liquid to augment the hydraulic head, substantiallyT as described.

2. Tlie combination with a collodion-filament former, means to maintain the circulation of a suitable liquid past the former to entrain the filament, and means to collect the vapors given off from the filament, over the liquid-level and means to/vent said Va'- pors by a fall of liquid-level, substantially as described. l

3. The combinati-on with a collodion-filament former, of a closed circuit containing a suitable liquid in which the filament is formed and entrained, means to collect the vapors liberated from the iilament to aug'- ment the hydraulic head of said li uid and means to condense said vapors W en the hydraulic head exceeds a predetermined pressure, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a collector containing a suitable liquid and a substantially vertical tube connected thereto and having a lateral opening in its u per part, of a noz zle projecting through t e opening into the tube to form a Jnlament therein, means to collect the liquid issuing from the bottom of the tub-e, means to return the liquid into the collector and means to condense the vapors held in the collector, 'substantially as Ide'- scribed. l

5. The combination with a collodion-iilament former, of means to maintain the cir-- roo IIO

culation of a suitable liquid in a closed cir 13o described.

. maintain the li uid at a suitable tempera` ture, substantial y as described.

6. The combination with a collector con-- taininga liquid solvent of' one of the solvents of col odion, of filament-formi nozzles,'a number of substantially vertica tubes connected to the'collector andeachhaving' an opening intowhich a nozzle projects, a joint in each tube to permit it to be swung to and from its nozzle, a collector-tube .to collect the liquid passing through said tubes, an ex` pansion-tankl lconnected to7 Athe collector, a pump to pump the liquid from .the'colle'ctor- .tubes into the expansion-tank, substantially as described.y

7. The combination with a collector cntaining a liquid solvent of one of the solvents odion, of ilament-formin nozzles, a number of substantially vertica tubesl connected to the collector,` each havingan openinto which a nozzle projects, means to in adgiust the length that each nozzle projects into its tube,'a collector-tube to receive the liqIid passing through Vthe aforementioned tu es, an expansion-,tank connected to the collector, a pump to pump the liquid from the collector-tubes into the expansion-tank and means controlled by the vapor liberated' 'from the filaments and collected in the collector to liberate said vapor, substantially as 8. The combination with a collector containi a liquid solvent of one ofthe solvents of col odion, of filament-forming nozzles, a

number of lsubstantiallyvertical tubes-connected to the collector, one of saidl nozzles projecting into each, means to permit each tube tobe swung' to and AfromV Its nozzle, a collector-tube to receive the liquid discharged by said tubes, an expansion-tanken the collector, a Ipump to pump liquid from the collector-tu e into the expansion-tank, a con# i denser, means controlled by the vapor liberated-from the filaments and collected in the Acollector to vent said vapor to the condenser,-

a vacuum-pump to draw the va or into the condenser andmeans controlle 'by the degree of vacuum to automatically control the operation of the pump, substantially as described.

' 9. In an apparatus such as described, the combination with the collector, of filamentforminghnozzles, a number of tubes connected to t e collector, one of said nozzles p rojecting into each tube, ailament-collectmg chamber into which a deiinite numberof 'tubes dischar e .tounite the filaments into a strand, a co lecting-tube into which the chambers ldischarge and means to return the V liquid and va ors ,to the collector, substantially as described.

10. The .combination with a collectorcontaining a solvent of .,alchol, of 'filamentforming nozzles, substantially vertical tubes connected to the collector, one of said noz. zles projecting into each tube, a'joint to permit each tube to be swung to and from its nozzle, a cock between the joint and oo llector', a collecting-tube intol which saId tubes discharge, an expansion-tank connected to the collector,a pump to pump the solvent from'the collecting-tubes Into the tank, a condenser, a float-controlled valve to vent the vether-vapor into the condenser, a vacuum-pump to drawv the vapor into the condenser, an electric motor yto drive said pump and means controlled by the degree-of vacu um to control the motor, substantially as described.

In testimon MAURICE DENIS. j

Witnesses: f.

HENRI RADOT,

ythat I claim the `foregoing as Imy invention havesi'gned my namefln pres- -ence of tWo subscribing Witnesses. 

